Melchiah
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) |race = • Human (birth) • Vampire: Soul Reaver era (until death) |gender = • Male |birthera = • Nosgoth's early history |status = • Inactive: deceased, soul devoured (Soul Reaver era) |titles = • Sarafan warrior inquisitor • Sixth Lieutenant of the Council • Patriarch of the Melchahim clan • Sixth-in-command of Kain's empire |territories = • The Necropolis |affiliation = • The Sarafan brotherhood • The Circle of Nine • Kain's empire • The Council • The Melchahim |gift = • Phasing through gates |realm = As a human: • Material Realm As a vampire: • Material Realm Spectral Realm |voice = • Michael Bell |appearances = • • }} Melchiah was a major character in the ''Legacy of Kain series'' , featured in ''Soul Reaver'' and ''Soul Reaver 2''. Initially born as a human in Nosgoth's early history, Melchiah rose to become one of the elite Sarafan Inquisitors of the Sarafan brotherhood. Melchiah was killed by the time travelling wraith Raziel and buried in the Tomb of the Sarafan for a thousand years before Kain raised him as sixth and last of his vampire sons. Melchiah in turn raised his own vampire clan, the Melchahim, who participated in the conquest of humanity. In Kain's empire, Melchiah was one of the leading 'Council', but he did nothing to prevent his vampire 'brother' Raziel 's execution. After Raziel returned as a wraith, Melchiah was the first of his former brothers that he faced. Melchiah was voiced by Michael Bell. Biography Human Life Nosgoth's early history (Soul Reaver 2) Melchiah was born as a human at some point in Nosgoth's early history. He would go on to join the Sarafan brotherhood, eventually reaching the highly respected rank of Sarafan warrior inquisitor, one of the order's elite. Melchiah infiltrated Janos Audron's aerie along with his comrades (Human Sarafan Inquisitors Raziel, Turel, Dumah and Zephon) and assisted in Janos' murder (the group having been led to Janos by a time travelling Wraith Raziel from the ''Soul Reaver era''). Tearing out the Heart of Darkness from Janos' chest and taking the Reaver blade, the Sarafan retreated to their stronghold. Janos' murder had dire consequences for Melchiah, as the Wraith Raziel followed the Inquisitors back to the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge Janos' death and reclaim The Heart of Darkness, attacking the Stronghold at the same time as Vorador's legendary attack on the circle (at the same location and with the same motivation). In the chaos, Wraith Raziel was able to recover the Reaver and shortly afterward Melchiah confronted the Wraith Raziel, along with his brother Zephon, in the courtyard of the stronghold, telling Raziel to get "back to hell". As the Reaver had made him virtually invincible, Raziel was able to easily kill Melchiah (along with Zephon), see also Melchiah and Zephon. Melchiah was entombed with the other 'martyr' Sarafan Inquisitors for a millennium in the Tomb of the Sarafan. Vampire Unlife Post-Blood Omen 2 era When Kain discovered a method of creating vampires for himself, he raised the six Sarafan martyrs to serve as his vampire sons; breathing part of his soul into them to 'snare their souls' and reanimate their corpses (but keeping them ignorant of their previous human lives). Melchiah was the last of the six to be raised and as such, he inherited the poorest proportion of Kain's gift; despite his immortality, Melchiah's body was unable to sustain its own flesh, forcing him to skin his victims and stitch their flesh onto him to "cover his putrescence." Presumably following Kain's method, each of his new lieutenants raised their own vampires, giving birth to the vampire clans (with Melchiah raising the Melchahim) providing Kain with an army with which to conquer Nosgoth. In Kain's New Empire, Melchiah was one of the members of the council which ruled Nosgoth, with Kain as their only master. Melchiah served Kain and the council for roughly a thousand years and over the centuries Melchiah gained many new gifts along with his 'evolution', but his underlying decay continued. Melchiah was present at the Council meeting where Raziel revealed his wings and he also witnessed Raziel's execution at The Abyss. Vampire Unlife (Evolved) Soul Reaver era Over time, with Nosgoth slowly becoming a wastleland, Kain's Empire declined and the clans scattered, with Melchiah (and the Melchahim) retreating to their territory in the Necropolis. Melchiah would eventually devolve into a large bloated mass, his underlying decay covered by a patchwork made up of the skins of his vicitms. When Raziel returned five centuries later, he visited the Necropolis after he had passed through his own desolate stronghold. Assailed by the 'zomibe-like' Melchahim, Raziel was eventually able to locate Melchiah's chambers, alongside a giant bladed 'grinder'. Raziel confronted his 'younger brother', asking him of the fate of the Razielim, Melchiah called them "an upstart inheritance" and said Raziel was "the last to die". Raziel fought Melchiah, eventually using Melchiah's phasing ability against him to trap him in the grinder (see also Melchiah (boss)). Activating it, Raziel demanded to know the location of Kain, but Melchiah told him that Kain was "beyond his reach", before being crushed by the grinder. As he died, Melchiah, who had earlier showed revulsion at his (d)evolved form, expressed relief at his "release" and with Melchiah's death, Raziel was able to consume his soul gaining the phase through gates ability required to enter the Sanctuary of the Clans. Despite this victory and the Elder God's praise, Raziel was left conflicted by Melchiah's death; though he wanted to avenge himself, the idea of fratricide was still repulsive to him.Raziel: Am I reduced to this? A ghoul? A fratricide? / Elder God: Elevated, Raziel. Not reduced. Notes *During the development of ''Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver'', Melchiah had the codename "Skinner" or "Skinner Boss" after the fate of his victims. He may also have been previously known as "Hema" or "Ruman" (both fallen angels associated with "rage" and "death" respectively). Ultimately "Melchiah" is described as a fallen angel that "serves the brood"* *Melchiah was described as "vain" and searching for the most "stunning specimens" to skin; and as a subtle in- joke, the faces stitched together on the evolved Melchiah's skin are Crystal Dynamics employees. *Melchiah demonstrates a certain association with Death; his territory is located in a Necropolis; his clan have become zombie-like; and he suffers constant decay; In his evolved form Melchiah also demonstrates (whilst using the Phase through Gates ability) that he has access to the Spectral Realm. (he is visible in the Spectral Realm, if Raziel decides to shift to it during the boss fight) *Some time after he killed Melchiah, Raziel would learn of he and Melchiah's shared heritage asSarafan Inquisitors, when he breached the Tomb of the Sarafan. Raziel initially heldthe Sarafan in high regard, but began to turn against them in ''Soul Reaver 2'' eventually going back in time and killing both his original human self and the original human Melchiah; This ultimately means Raziel is responsible for both of Melchiah's deaths. *In the Pre-Blood Omen era, the Human Melchiah is memorialised along with his Sarafan Inquisitor brothers in the 'Chapter House' of the Sarafan Stronghold. His visage as a Vampire is seen in the Soul Reaver era, on the walls of the Necropolis. *In ''Soul Reaver 2'', when Melchiah dies, The Reaver, in it's blood-drinking state, can be seen to consume his blood. It does not consume his soul however (which quickly rises away); Raziel recognising that the Reaver is not consuming souls ultimately leads to his epiphany at the climax of ''Soul Reaver 2''. Gallery SR1-Character-Melchiah-Face.jpg SR1-Character-Melchiah.jpg SR1-Character-Melchiah-ConceptA.jpg SR1-Character-Melchiah-ConceptB.jpg SR1-Necropolis-Melchiah Mural.PNG Melchiah-mutated beast.jpg Melchiah3.jpg Texture-Mural-SarafanStronghold-InquisitorMelchiah.png Sarafan melchiah.jpg Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver p10.jpg Defiance12GameStop.jpg Defiance14GameStop.jpg See also * Melchiah at Wikipedia. * Melchiah at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). References }} Category:Characters Category:Defiance comic characters Category:Soul Reaver characters Category:Soul Reaver comic characters Category:Soul Reaver 2 characters